Riot in Kabul

THE RIOTING provoked by a traffic accident Monday in Kabul signifies more than an Afghan version of road rage. Legitimate grievances were being vented, however much the rioters' anger may have been exploited by political factions and common thieves.

This being a season of renewed Taliban and Al Qaeda attacks, and of retaliation by US and NATO forces that has caused unintended civilian casualties, all parties that want to prevent Afghanistan from lapsing back into a failed state must take seriously the popular anger on display Monday in the Kabul riots. The people's fury has several sources.

The US Army truck that careened down a hill on burned-out brakes, crashing into Afghan vehicles, provoked a violent response because similar incidents have happened all too often. Whether from nervousness or callousness, foreign military forces have repeatedly sideswiped Afghans' cars, speeding off without concern for the damage or injury they may have caused.

These incidents pluck at the Afghan sense of honor. No matter how happy most Afghans were to have the Americans force the Taliban out of Kabul and out of power, there is only so much humiliation Afghan pride can suffer in silence from arrogant, wealthy foreigners.

Indignation at privileged foreigners is not directed solely at US and NATO soldiers. For some time, resentment has been building against the high wages and accommodations of international aid workers. The contracts their organizations receive from international donors are seen by many Afghans, justifiably, as diverting funds that could be channeled directly into the Afghan economy.

This pent-up resentment may explain, at least in part, why rampaging mobs in Kabul burned down the offices of CARE on Monday and assaulted other international assistance groups. Even if thieves chose those targets for the value of what they could steal, and even if political provocateurs sought to stoke xenophobic passions, the truth is that even those foreigners who bear no arms have become symbols of Afghans' state of dependency.

Most Afghans don't want the disorder of a failed state and don't want the Taliban back in Kabul. But they also don't want to be humiliated by foreigners. Afghanistan needs at least the current low level of military assistance it receives from US and NATO forces, but those forces must be disciplined to avoid harming non combatants. And the major donor countries, in particular the United States, Germany, and Japan, also need to make long-term aid commitments and channel much more of those funds through the Afghan government. Afghans need security, they need economic development, and they need to be able to keep their pride.